The A-to-Z of Yeovil's History

by Bob Osborn

the history of yeovil's pubs

black horse

Reckleford

There
has been a Black
Horse Inn (shown
as 'A' on the
1886 map at
right) on this
site since at
least the
1830's, as
witnessed by the
list of
licensees below.

However it seems
that this did
not start life
as a beerhouse,
but as a full
public house,
since it has
been named as
the Black Horse
since its first
mention - in
Robson's 1835
trade directory.
However the
present building
probably dates
from the 1920's
or 1930's.

The address of
the pub used to
be
Reckleford
Hill but the
road name
changed to
Reckleford
around 1800. The
map here, based
on the 1886
Ordnance Survey
map still
labeled it as
Reckleford Hill.
Note the pound
at the side of
the Black Horse.
Note also the
two glove
factories either
side of the
road.

The earlier pub
survived a fire
in 1865 (see
Documentation
below) and the
later building
survived the
widening of
Reckleford in
the mid-1960's
unlike nearly
every other
building either
side of the
original
un-widened
Reckleford,
including its
near neighbour
on the other
side of the
road, the Nag's
Head.

This
is a
public
house
'check'
from my
collection,
probably
issued
in the
late
nineteenth
or early
twentieth
century,
from the
Black
Horse
Inn, for
the
value 1½d.

On
the
obverse
is
"BLACK"
above
"HORSE"
above
"INN",
the
reverse
has just
the
value 1½d.
Made of
brass,
it is
just
under
22mm in
diameter
and is
1.7mm
thick.

Public house
'checks' were
frequently used
in pub games,
such as skittles
or quoits where,
for instance,
players would
'chip in' a
check to the
'kitty' which
would be won by
the winning team
to redeem at the
bar. By issuing
checks a
landlord could
guarantee they
would be spent
in his
establishment
only.

By the 1890s the
Black Horse Inn was a
tied house of
the
Royal
Osborne Brewery,
with a long
lease owned by Earle
Vincent. When
Vincent died in
1893 his estate
was sold off the
following year
which included
"the Black Horse
Inn, Reckleford,
tenanted by Mr
Job Forsey at
£18 (about
£1,800 per annum
at today's value)."
The brewery and
the Black Horse
were bought by
Jonathan Drew
Knight.

The following is
from the Western
Gazette of 07
September 2012.

Pub
landlord
sickened
by theft
of air
charity
cash

A
publican
has been
left
devastated
after
thieves
stole
£5,000
raised
for
charity
using a
wheelie
bin to
conceal
their
swag.
Regulars
at the
Black
Horse
pub off
Reckleford
have
been
fundraising
for the
Dorset
and
Somerset
Air
Ambulance
for the
last
year by
collecting
cash in
an old
water
cooler
dispenser.
But the
haul
went
missing
from the
bar
following
last
week’s
Bank
Holiday.
It is
believed
a group
of men
used a
wheelie
bin from
the
nearby
Holy
Ghost
Catholic
Church
to make
off with
haul
after
entering
the pub
prior to
it
opening
on
Wednesday.

Landlord
Andy
Gurzynski,
50, has
been
left
deeply
upset by
the
theft.
He said:
“It is
absolutely
gut-wrenching.
I am
devastated
for my
regulars
and the
charity.
It is
estimated
there
was
about
£5,000
in the
container
and we
were so
close to
it being
full and
handing
it
over."

Yeovilians
remember...

From
me - "At
one
time,
certainly
during
the
early
1980's
(when I
lived in
the
Avenue
and the
Black
Horse
was my
local),
an
off-license
operated
via the
now-blocked
door
seen in
the
photograph
below
facing
the
Avenue."

The pub has had
a very long
string of
landlords, none
of whom seem to
have lasted much
more than a few
years. Little is
known about the
first named
licensee, George
Bengefield,
other than he
was listed as a
smith in Back
Kingston. The
Bengefields were
a Wincanton
family.

George Andrews
was listed in
the 1841 census
as an innkeeper
in Reckleford.
Although the pub
was not named
its proximity to
Higher Kingston
in the census
could only mean
it was the Black
Horse. George
was born about
1811 but not in
Somerset. He was
living at the
Black Horse with
his
Somerset-born
wife, Ann, and
their three
daughters, none
of whom were
born in
Somerset. There
was no trace of
George or his
family in Yeovil
after 1841 and
they must have
left by 1842.

Charles Chalker
was born in 1794
in Keinton
Mandeville and
was listed in
Pigot’s 1842-4
Directory as the
licensee of the
Black Horse.
Although in the
1846 Keinton
Mandeville Poll
Book Charles was
listed by virtue
of holding a
freehold house
and garden in
Keinton albeit
owned by John
Baily. In the
1851 census he
gave his
occupation as a
stone mason
employing 10 men
and inn keeper.
He lived with
his wife, Mary
Ann, their two
daughters and a
servant at the
Black Horse on
Reckleford Hill.
Two lodgers were
also recorded.
He died in
Yeovil in the
winter of 1857.

William Thorne,
born in 1827 in
Stoke sub
Hamdon, was the
next licensee.
He married
Caroline Park in
Yeovil in July
1857 and in the
1861 census he
was listed as
the inn keeper
and they were
living at the
Black Horse with
their baby son,
Henry William,
and Caroline's
young sister,
Susan, worked
there as a
servant. Both
William and
Caroline
disappear from
the records
after this date.

Elizabeth
Gregory
(photographed
left) was born
in 1817 at
Charlton
Horethorne, ten
miles northeast
of Yeovil, the
daughter of
labourer John
Gregory. She
married Henry
Sugg, son of
labourer William
Sugg, on 29 July
1838 at South
Street Chapel,
Yeovil. On her
marriage
certificate she
was noted as a
glover living in
Reckleford and
Henry as a
mason. Neither
she nor Henry
could write and
both made their
mark on the
certificate. In
the 1841 census
Henry was listed
as a bricklayer
and he and
Elizabeth,
together with
their baby son,
William, were
living in
Reckleford.

Their location
in the census
puts them
immediately
between the
Black Horse and
Higher Kingston
- maps of the
time show no
houses actually
on Reckleford at
this location
and they must
have been living
in a small
cottage
immediately
behind the Black
Horse on little
more than a
short, narrow
track which
would later
become the
location of The
Avenue.

In the 1851
census Henry was
again listed as
a mason and they
were living in
the same
cottage,
although son
William had
presumably died
and was no
longer present.
Children living
with them were
Walter aged 9,
Emily aged 6,
Albert aged 4
and Ellen aged
1. By the time
of the 1861
census Henry was
describing
himself as a
master mason
employing two
men and two
boys. Living
with them were
Emily, Albert
and Ellen as
well as William
aged 8
(confirming the
death of the
earlier son
called William)
and Elizabeth,
known as Lizzie,
aged 5.

Henry died in
the autumn of
1867 and by the
time of the 1871
census Elizabeth
had become the
licensee of the
Black Horse. The
census lists her
as a 55-year old
widow and
innkeeper of the
Black Horse Inn.
With her was
daughter Lizzie.
Also living at
the Black Horse
was harness
maker Edwin
Stone and his
family. By 1875
Elizabeth had
moved on and in
1881 was living
with her 7-year
old grandson
Albert in
Cricklade,
Wiltshire. She
was living on
her own at the
same address ten
years later and
living on her
own means.
Elizabeth died
at Cricklade in
the spring of
1892 aged about
75.

The next
licensee was
Edwin Stone and,
as mentioned
above, was
living at the
Black Horse in
1871 when
Elizabeth Sugg
was the
innkeeper. Edwin
was born in
Yeovil about
1846 the son of
glove cutter
Thomas Stone and
his gloveress
wife, Mary. In
the 1851 census
Edwin was living
with his parents
and five
siblings in
Wellington
Street and by
1861 they had
moved around the
corner to Huish.
Edwin married in
April 1870 and
in the 1871
census he was
living at the
Black Horse Inn
with his wife,
Emily, and their
5-month old son,
William. Edwin
gave his
occupation as
harness maker.
Edwin clearly
took over the
license when
Elizabeth Sugg
moved to
Cricklade around
1875. He is
listed as the
licensee in the
Post Office
Directory of
1875 but clearly
did not remain
very long
because by 1881
he had moved his
family to
Battersea,
London where he
continued to
live until at
least 1901.

Stephen Dibben
was born in May
1845 at Fontmell
Magna, Dorset,
some twenty five
miles east of
Yeovil, the son
of carter
Stephen Dibben
and his wife
Rhoda. In the
1851 census
Stephen was
living with his
parents and
siblings at
Fontmell as,
indeed he was in
1861 when he
gave his
occupation as an
agricultural
labourer. By the
time of the 1871
census on 2
April his father
had died and
Stephen, now
employed as a
groom, was
living with his
mother and
younger sister.
Two weeks later
Stephen was
married at
Compton Abbas to
Emily Ridout,
daughter of
labourer Robert
Ridout. Both
were able to
sign their names
on their
marriage
certificate. In
the 1881 census
Stephen and
Emily, with
their two young
children,
Albertina and
Annie, were
living at the
Black Horse Inn.
Stephen still
gave his
occupation as
groom so
presumably Emily
ran the pub
during the day
and he took over
in the evenings
after work as
was usual at the
time. He was
also listed as
licensee in
Whitby's 1882
Yeovil Almanack
Advertiser but,
sadly, I could
find no further
trace of them in
the records.

John Childs, the
next licensee,
was born about
1843 at Bradford
Abbas, just
south of Yeovil,
the son of
cordwainer
(shoemaker) John
Childs and his
glover wife,
Selina. In the
1851 census John
was living with
his parents and
siblings at Goar
Knap and,
judging by their
position in the
census, they
were living at
New Prospect
Place which was
a long terrace
of small slum
cottages housing
the very poor,
between the
Royal Marine and
the White Horse,
demolished in
1907 and the
land used as
allotments. They
were described
as "simply huts
with no
foundations and
originally
having earth
floors". The
next time I
found John was
the 1891 census
when he was
described as
proprietor of
public house at
the Black Horse
Inn. He was aged
50 and living
with his 60-year
old wife, Eliza,
and four
boarders. John
and Eliza had
moved on from
the Black Horse
by 1895 and I
could find no
further record
of them.

James Mitchell
was listed as
licensee of the
Black Horse in
Kelly’s 1895
Directory but I
could find no
other records
that I could
identify him
with certainty.
In any event he
had left within
three years.

Similarly I
couldn't
identify Albert
Gill in the
records. He was
listed as
licensee of the
Black Horse in
Whitby's 1898
Yeovil Almanack
Advertiser but I
could only find
a Henry Albert
Gill, naval
pensioner, but
with no proof
they were one
and the same
man.

Fortunately I
had more luck
with the
following
licensees,
Walter and Mary
Churchill.
Walter was born
in 1854 in the
Travellers' Rest
Inn at Roundham,
Crewkerne, the
son of
agricultural
labourer Charles
Churchill and
his wife Mary
Ann née Scriven.
Mary Ann was the
daughter of
Benjamin Scriven
and his wife,
Mary née Webb -
Benjamin was an
agricultural
labourer and
beer house
keeper, the
licensee of the
Travellers' Rest
and in the 1841
census Charles
and Mary Ann
Churchill were
living there
with her
parents. They
were still
living there ten
years later
although by this
time Mary's
mother had died
and Charles and
Mary had a brood
of children;
William,
Matilda, Walter,
Ellen, Mary and
Caroline -
ranging in ages
from 12 to 7
months. By 1871
Benjamin Scriven
had died and
Charles was the
new licensee of
the Travellers'
Rest with Mary
Jane and three
of the children;
17-year old
Walter a cooper
out of employ
and his three
younger sisters.
On 3 October
1875 at
Allington
church,
Bridport,
Dorset, cooper
Walter married
Mary Ann Bridle
of Axminster,
Devon, daughter
of cooper John
Bridle. By the
time of the 1881
census Walter,
still employed
as a cooper, and
Mary were living
in Crewkerne
with children
Mary Ann, John
Charles and
Walter Sidney.
By 1891 the
family had moved
to Gillingham,
Dorset. Walter
was employed as
a brewer's
cooper and John
Charles was a
cooper's
assistant. There
were also four
more children;
William, David,
Clarence and
Alfred. During
the 1890's the
family moved to
Yeovil and
Walter was
listed as
licensee of the
Black Horse in
Whitby's Yeovil
Almanack
Advertiser in
both 1899 and
1900. Walter and
John Charles
briefly moved to
London and in
the 1901 census
were both
working as
coopers in
Lambeth. Mary
Ann, meanwhile,
stayed in Yeovil
with the rest of
the children
(now including
Mabel and Fred)
and was listed
as publican in
the 1901 census.
By 1911 the
family were
reunited and
living in South
Street,
Sherborne,
Dorset, some
five miles east
of Yeovil.
George, Mabel
and Fred were
living with
them. Walter was
still employed
as a cooper,
George, now 26,
was a carpenter
and Fred, 16,
was a gardener.
Walter and Mary
had been married
at this time for
36 years and had
eleven children,
three of whom
had died. Mary
died in
Sherborne in the
summer of 1916
and Walter died
there in the
winter of 1926.

The next
licensee, Edward
Fone, was
actually born
Edmund Fone and
appears to have
changed his name
after he got
married. He was
born in the
summer of 1842
in Crewkerne,
the son of shoe
maker Stephen
Fone and his
wife, Elizabeth
née Hiller. In
the 1851 census
Edmund was
living with his
parents and
younger brother
Richard in
Crewkerne. By
1861 his mother
had died and
Edmund, now a
horse hair
drawer, still
lived with his
father and
brother in
Crewkerne. In
January 1868
Edmund married
Emma Chard,
daughter of
James and
Elizabeth Chard
of Crewkerne -
in Chard,
Somerset (if
that makes
sense). In the
1871 census
Edmund, now
called Edward,
was still a
horse hair
drawer and
living in
Hermitage
Street,
Crewkerne with
Emma and their
two children,
Albert and Anne.
By 1881 the
family had moved
to Yeovil and
were living in
Queen Street.
Edward was now
an insurance
agent and Emma
was working as a
glover. Albert
and Annie were
still living
with them and
new additions
included Alice,
Frederick,
Ernest and
James. The 1901
census listed
them living at
11 Brunswick
Street; Edward
gave his
occupation as
insurance and
emigration agent
and only Alice
and William
still lived with
him and Emma.
Emma died in the
summer of 1906
and in the 1911
census Edward
was living at 28
Crofton Avenue
with his
daughter Annie
and her husband
Reginald Hodges.
Edward gave his
occupation as
shipping agent
etc. Edward died
in the summer of
1924, aged 82.

John
Henry Moore,
known as John
Harry, was born
in 1862 at
Stalbridge,
Dorset, the son
of Robert Moore.
Little is known
of his early
life - in 1881
he was a
tailor's
apprentice
living with his
aunt and brother
in Stalbridge
and in December
1891 he married
Amanda Searle in
Yeovil. By 1901
John described
his occupation
as innkeeper and
tailor and lived
in the
King's
Arms,
Silver
Street, with his
wife, Amanda,
and their son,
William. By 1907
John was
licensee of the
Black Horse with
Amanda and
William. John
was listed as
the licensee of
the Black Horse
in Kelly’s 1914
Directory but he
died in the
spring of 1914.
Amanda took on
the license for
a brief period
and was listed
as the licensee
in Whitby's 1915
Yeovil Almanack
Advertiser, with
the
advertisement
shown here.

MAPs

A section of
Edward Watts'
map of 1842
showing the
field called
Pound Close at
top left and the
track leading to
it, also known
as
Pound Close.
The animal pound
is shown in the
lane and marked
with a 'P'. The
first
incarnation of
the
Black Horse
pub, operating
by at least
1835, would have
been the small
building above
and to the left
of the 'R' of
Reckleford. It
would be rebuilt
alongside the
pound at a later
date.

Map based on the
1886 Ordnance
Survey showing
the Pound at
top, left of
centre, sitting
alongside the
Black Horse
public house.
The track in
which the pound
was located was
called Pound
Close.

gallery

Notice of the
sale of
household
furniture at the
Black Horse,
following the
death of Charles
Chalker, from
the 19 January
1858 edition of
the Western
Flying Post.

The Black Horse
Christmas
Special as
advertised in
the Western
Gazette's
edition of 22
December 1871.
No, I don't know
the ingredients
of 'Cedo Nulli
Sauce'.

The report of
landlord John
Childs' assault
of a youth from
the 6 May 1892
edition of the
Western
Chronicle.

Courtesy of
Brian Kersting

The Black Horse
Inn photographed
around 1926
before being
rebuilt as we
see it today.
This building
was built
between 1842 and
1886 on the site
of an earlier
pub of the same
name.

An aerial
photograph
dating to 1975
shows the Black
Horse at the
centre with the
three dormers.
Reckleford,
newly made into
a dual
carriageway,
snakes across
the lower half
of the
photograph while
Higher Kingston
comes down from
the top left,
past the
Catholic church.
At this point
Higher Kingston
ended and
Reckleford Hill
started, its
original course
marked by the
line of
remaining
buildings
starting with
the Black Horse.

documentation

1865

13
November:
Proposed
by Mr
March,
seconded
- Dawe,
that 2s.
each be
given to
24 men
for
working
at the
Fire at
the
Black
Horse.
Proposed
by Mr
March,
seconded
by -
Dawe,
that 5s.
each be
given to
Trask
and Sugg
for
assistance
at the
late
Fire.
Proposed
by Mr
Cogan,
seconded
- Dawe,
that £6
be
charged
for the
Fire at
the
Black
Horse.
(Volunteer
Fire
Brigade
minutes).

links to the major
themes

A Note on Copyright

PLEASE NOTE that I don't own the copyright to
most of the monochrome photos. Copyright belongs to the photographer or his heirs for 70 years
after the death of the photographer - not any old Tom, Dick or Harry who happens to have a print,
postcard or a digital copy on their website, etc. If any photographer has a GENUINE claim to the
copyright of any of these photos, please contact me and I'll either acknowledge or remove them as appropriate

My e-Books

I have written several electronic
books on an eclectic range of subjects including
Bayonets of the World, the WW2 Taunton Stop Line,
Medieval Carved Bench Ends of South Somerset and
Italian Futurism.

Contact ME

I am happy to receive emails in connection with this
site, especially if they offer additional information,
images or constructive comments. Please be aware,
however, that there is no 'e' on my surname.